The Facts
A court in Russia extended opposition leader Alexey Navalny's prison sentence by 19 years on Friday. A vocal critic of Russia's actions in Ukraine, Navalny is currently serving a nine-year sentence on fraud and contempt of court charges.
Navalny was found guilty on six counts he rejects as being politically motivated — including financing extremism, promoting Nazism, inciting children to dangerous acts, and creating an illegal group.
The Spin
Pro-Russia narrative
Navalny is a dangerous extremist who created an extremist organization and directed his associates to carry out polarizing activities aimed at undermining public security and state integrity and changing the Russian political system. As he has repeatedly violated the law, it's only fair that due process is carried out.
Anti-Russia narrative
The Kremlin has disturbingly attempted to silence Navalny and prevent his calls for transparency and accountability from reaching the Russian people for years. This is an unjust conclusion to an unjust trial and shows how judicial harassment and the court system are weaponized for political purposes in Russia.
